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DJI Mini 3 Review With Specs Comparison

The new DJI Mini 3 weighs less than 249g, yet packs features which make it powerful enough for established content creators, as well as being an excellent option for beginners. Our DJI Mini 3 review has everything you need to know about the latest drone from DJI, including the UK release date, price (including the combo) and a specs comparison with the flagship Mini 3 Pro.

DJI Mini 3 review with specs comparison Vs DJI Mini 3 Pro drone

DJI Mini 3 features at glance

  • Foldable integrated camera drone
  • Extended flight times up to 38 minutes
  • Under 250g weight
  • 12 megapixel 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor
  • 4K video (3840x2160) @24/25/30 fps
  • 24mm f/1.7 lens (equivalent)
  • 3-axis mechanical gimbal stabilisation

Discover how the Mini 3 can help you create engaging content for your audience, how long it takes to charge the DJI Mini 3 battery, and confirm which is the best drone for your needs.

Mini 3 in flight

DJI Mini 3 release date

The DJI Mini 3 was released on 9 December 2022, following the DJI Avata, which arrived 25 August 2022. The flagship DJI Mini 3 Pro was launched on May 10, also in 2022, and our comparison shows just how much the entry-level drone has in common with its more expensive sibling.

DJI Mini 3 price

The DJI Mini 3 (Drone Only) is priced at £439.00 without a controller, £519.00 with the RC-N1 controller and £669.00 with the DJI RC. This ensures the Mini 3 is extremely accessible and compares favourable to the DJI Mini 3 Pro (DJI RC), which costs £819.00 by comparison.

Expect to pay £678.00 for the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo and £828.00 for the Mini 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC), which includes extra batteries, propellers, screws, cables as required and a carry bag.

How long does it take to charge DJI Mini 3 battery?

The Mini 3 uses the same 2453 mAh Intelligent Flight Battery as the Mini 3 Pro, with identical charging times. Charging takes 64 minutes with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery mounted to the aircraft, or just 56 minutes using the Two-Way Charging Hub and 30W charger.

DJI Mini 3 with RC

DJI Mini 3 Vs DJI Mini 3 Pro specs comparison

Although the latest drone supersedes the DJI Mini 2, a more useful comparison is between the DJI Mini 3 Vs DJI Mini 3 Pro. The Pro version was released in the same year and offers similar performance, but carries a higher price tag, so which extra features do you get?

 

DJI Mini 3

DJI Mini 3 PRO

Price

£519.00

£709.00

Takeoff Weight

248 g

<249 g

Dimensions

Folded (without propellers): 148x90x62 mm (LxWxH)

Unfolded (with propellers): 251x362x72 mm (LxWxH)

Folded: 145×90×62 mm

Unfolded: 171×245×62 mm

Max Ascent Speed

5 m/s

5 m/s (S Mode)

Max Horizontal Speed (at sea level, no wind)

16 m/s

16 m/s (S Mode)

Max Takeoff Altitude

With Intelligent Flight Battery: 4000 m

With Intelligent Flight Battery: 4000 m

Max Flight Time

38 minutes

Measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: flying forward at a constant speed of 21.6 kph in a windless laboratory environment, in photo mode (without photo taking operation during flight), and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version.

34 mins

With Intelligent Flight Battery and measured while flying at 21.6 kph in windless conditions.

Max Hovering Time

33 minutes

Measured in a controlled test environment. Specific test conditions are as follows: hovering in a windless laboratory environment, in photo mode (without photo taking operation during flight), and from 100% battery level until 0%. Results may vary depending on the environment, actual use, and firmware version.

30 mins

With Intelligent Flight Battery, no wind.

Max Flight Distance

18 km (with Intelligent Flight Battery and measured while flying at 43.2 kph in windless conditions)

18 km (with Intelligent Flight Battery and measured while flying at 43.2 kph in windless conditions)

Max Wind Speed Resistance

10.7 m/s (Level 5)

10.7 m/s (Level 5)

Max Tilt Angle

40°

Forward: 40°, Backward: 35° (S Mode)

Operating Temperature

-10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F)

-10° to 40° C (14° to 104° F)

Global Navigation Satellite System

GPS + GLONASS + Galileo

GPS + Galileo + BeiDou

Internal Storage

N/A

1.2GB

Camera Image Sensor

1/1.3-inch CMOS, Effective Pixels: 12 MP

1/1.3-inch CMOS. Effective Pixels: 48 MP

Camera Lens

FOV: 82.1°

Format Equivalent: 24 mm

Aperture: f/1.7

Focus: 1 m to ∞

FOV: 82.1°

Format Equivalent: 24 mm

Aperture: f/1.7

Focus Range: 1 m to ∞

Camera ISO Range

Video: 100-3200

Photo: 100-3200

Video: 100-6400 (Auto), 100-6400 (Manual)

Photo: 100-6400 (Auto), 100-6400 (Manual)

Camera Shutter Speed

Electronic Shutter: 2-1/8000 s

Electronic Shutter: 2-1/8000 s

Max Image Size

4000x3000

8064×6048 (48 MP)

Still Photography Modes

Single Shot: 12 MP

Timed: 12 MP

JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

JPEG + RAW: 5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12 MP, 3 frames at 2/3 EV step

Panorama: Sphere, 180°, Wide Angle

HDR: The Single Shot mode supports outputting HDR images.

Single Shot

Interval:

JPEG: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

JPEG + RAW: 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 s

Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 2/3 EV Bias

Panorama: Sphere, 180°, Wide-angle, and Vertical

Photo Format

JPEG/DNG (RAW)

JPEG/DNG (RAW)

Video Resolution

4K: 3840x2160@24/25/30 fps

2.7K: 2720x1530@24/25/30/48/50/60 fps

FHD: 1920x1080@24/25/30/48/50/60 fps

HDR: Recording with the 24/25/30fps frame rate supports outputting HDR images.

4K: 3840×2160@24/25/30/48/50/60fps

2.7K: 2720×1530@24/25/30/48/50/60fps

FHD: 1920×1080@24/25/30/48/50/60fps

Slow Motion: 1920×1080@120fps

Video Format

MP4 (H.264)

MP4/MOV (H.264/H.265)

Max Video Bitrate

100 Mbps

150 Mbps

Camera colour modes

Normal

Normal

D-Cinelike

Camera Digital Zoom

4K: 2x

2.7K: 3x

FHD: 4x

4K: 2x

2.7K: 3x

FHD: 4x

QuickShots Modes

Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, and Boomerang

Dronie, Helix, Rocket, Circle, Boomerang, and Asteroid

Gimbal

3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, and pan)

3-axis mechanical gimbal (tilt, roll, and pan)

Gimbal Mechanical Range

Tilt: -135° to 80°

Roll: -135° to 45°

Pan: -30° to 30°

Tilt: -135° to 80°

Roll: -135° to 45°

Pan: -30° to 30°

Sensing

Downward vision system

Forwards, backwards, downwards

Video Transmission

DJI O2

DJI O3

Video Transmission

Remote Controller: 720p/30fps

1080p/30fps

Video Transmission

2 antennas, 1T2R

4 antennas, 1T2R

Battery

Intelligent Flight Battery: 2453 mAh

Intelligent Flight Battery: 2453 mAh

Battery

Intelligent Flight Battery:

64 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery mounted to the aircraft)

56 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub)

* Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Intelligent Flight Battery:

64 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery mounted to the aircraft)

56 minutes (with the DJI 30W USB-C Charger and the battery inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub)

* Sold separately and only in selected countries and regions.

Charger

DJI 30W USB-C Charger or other USB Power Delivery chargers (30 W)*

* When you charge the battery mounted to the aircraft or inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub, the maximum charging power supported is 30 W.

DJI 30W USB-C Charger or other USB Power Delivery chargers (30 W)*

* When you charge the battery mounted to the aircraft or inserted into the Two-Way Charging Hub, the maximum charging power supported is 30 W.

Charging Hub

Three batteries being charged in sequence

Three batteries being charged in sequence

Storage

SanDisk Extreme 32GB V30 A1 microSDXC

SanDisk Extreme 128GB V30 A2 microSDXC

SanDisk Extreme 256GB V30 A2 microSDXC

SanDisk Extreme 32GB V30 A1 microSDXC

SanDisk Extreme 128GB V30 A2 microSDXC

SanDisk Extreme 256GB V30 A2 microSDXC

In a nutshell, with the Mini 3 you get many of the features and capabilities of the higher-spec Pro drone, in an aircraft that remains within the sub-250g weight category. Essentially the aircraft are the same, as are the camera and sensor, which is a good thing, as the 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor features dual native ISO and supports direct HDR output. The 24mm equivalent lens is also the same, with a bright f/1.7 aperture, ensuring you can capture extremely high quality footage, even in low light and even at night.

The Pro version differentiates itself with features such as D-Cinelike colour profile and 4K/60fps with H.265 compression, with up to 150 Mbps. It also comes with the latest DJI O3 video transmission system and you also gain additional forwards and backwards sensing further to downwards sensing, which both drones offer.

What's in the combo?

What’s included with Mini 3 and Mini 3 combo?

With the new Mini 3 available as five different options we’ve highlighted what’s included in the box, in order for you to see what comes with each model, such as the number of DJI Mini 3 batteries in the DJI Mini fly more combo.

What’s in the box

DJI Mini 3 (Drone Only)

DJI Mini 3

DJI Mini 3 (DJI RC)

DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo

DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo (DJI RC)

DJI Mini 3

1

1

1

1

1

DJI RC-N1 Remote Controller

 

1

 

1

 

DJI RC-N1 RC Cable (USB Type-C Connector)

 

1

 

1

 

DJI RC-N1 RC Cable (Lightning Connector)

 

1

 

1

 

DJI RC-N1 RC Cable (Micro-USB Connector)

 

1

 

1

 

DJI RC

   

1

 

1

Intelligent Flight Battery

1

1

1

3

3

Spare Propellers (Pair)

1

1

1

3

3

Spare Screws

6

6

6

18

18

Screwdriver

1

1

1

1

1

Gimbal Protector

1

1

1

1

1

Type-C to Type-C PD Cable

1

1

1

1

1

USB-C Cable

     

1

1

Shoulder Bag

     

1

1

Two-Way Charging Hub

     

1

1

Best DJI Mini 3 accessories

With near identical aircraft, cameras and gimbals, many DJI Mini 3 accessories are shared with the existing Pro drone. Aside from controllers, which are available in the two combos, you can upgrade your experience with the following Mini 3 accessories:

  1. DJI Mini 3 Intelligent Flight Battery: 2453 mAhsame as pro
  2. DJI 30W USB-C Charger – universal
  3. DJI Mini 3 ND Filter Set (ND16/64/256)same as pro
  4. Various compatible microSD cards – see comparison table above
  5. Two-Way Charging Hubsame as pro

Who is the DJI Mini 3 for?

The ability to record 4K HDR video at 30fps, 12 megapixel images, Vertical mode and a number of easy-to-use QuickShots, ensure the Mini 3 is capable of creating impressive content. The sensor elevates this through strong highlight and shadow detail with rich, accurate colours, particularly when using QuickShots, Pano or other advanced content modes.

DJI also added a number of intelligent flight features, such as RTH and Auto Takeoff, along with downwards sensing while hovering, helping to keep the drone safer during critical moments.

These features all combine with intuitive aircraft control, in order for new pilots and newcomers to aerial content creation to be able to master piloting quickly. More established drone pilots and content creators who need a lightweight and cost-effective drone, will feel immediately at home with any version of the Mini 3, particularly if familiar with piloting with an existing controller.

More advanced enthusiast creators who’s priority is portability, may find the Mini 3 Pro a more compelling choice, as it offers a handful of advanced features such as greater control over colour grading and higher resolution images.

Summary

The Mini 3 from DJI is the latest sub 250g Mini drone, which not only fits into a jacket pocket, but delivers impressive content along with easy control. It’s essentially a scaled-down Mini 3 Pro, which provides tried-and-tested technology for newcomers and enthusiasts to aerial content creation.

Whichever is most tempting, browse our huge range of drones to find the perfect one your needs, and start making incredible content from the skies. You can also find out more on the DJI Mini 3 Pro (DJI RC) product page, which links to all of the other variations in this release.

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By Nick Dautlich on 09/12/2022

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